Safety-signal for firearms.



w.'YANEH,T. A SAFETY SIGNAL' FOR FIREARMS. APPLICATION F |LED SEPT. 22| i916.

.. 1 l E l WIT/VESSES UNITED sTATEs' PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM YANERT, OF PURGATORY, TERRITRY OF ALASKA.

SAFETY-SIGNAL FOR FIREARMS.

v Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

Application filed September 22, 1916. Serial No. 121,661. Y

- dicate at the outside of the firearm whether or not the same is loaded.

Among the objects of the invention, therefore, is to provide a firearm with a signal movable so as to occupy different positions according to whether the firearm is supplied with a shell or cartridge or not, s0 that when the weapon is held in the o erators hands, he will be able to know positlvely whether it is empty and if the signal shows that it is loaded, he will be put on his lookout.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists in the arrangement and combination of partsihereinafter described and claimed, and while the invention is not restricted to the exact details of construction disclosed or suggestedherein, still for the purpose of illustrating a practical embodiment thereofreference is had tov the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same parts in the several views, and in whichvFigure 1 is a perspective view of the breech portion of a firearm indicated as a double barrel shot gun; v

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, a small portion being broken out; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view likewise in plan of the signal device.

lWhile I show a shot gun, obviously the invention in the form somewhat similar to l v that shown is adapted to be applied to practically any kind of a breech loading firearm,

and it will be understood, therefore, that the 'illustration of a shot gun is to be taken as but typical of all possible and ordinary applications of the inventive idea.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, I show at 10 the-breech piece of a gun havin barrels 11, constructed in a suitable orwe l known manner for the introduction and ejectionof the cartridges, one of which is shown in dotted lines at 12 in 'Iba upper portion of the' breech piece is shown recessed at 13 for the... s ignal `devices and this recess is adapted to be closed by a p late 14 of glass or other suitable means providing a view of said signal means. For each barrel I provide an indicator 15, shown inl this case as in the form of a disk carried by an arm 16 pivot'ed on a fixed pivot 17 adjacent one end of the recess 13. The recess -is of a length in a direction parallel to the axis of the gun at least twice as great as the diameter of the signal disk. The face of the signal is preferably colored red to indicate danger when visible. Obviously I do not wish .to be limited as to the form, coloror specific arrangement of the signal.

At 18,' I show a feeler orplunger mounted for longitudinal reciprocations in or across the recess 13. The main portion of the plunger is of uniform cross section and indicated as cylindrical, and at its front end is provided with a reduced portion forming a finger 18. The breech piece is bored at 19 back of the recess 13 and in alinement with any suitable portion of the bore of the barrel 11. The rear end of the plunger is guided in the bore or-ho1e 19, while the front portion of the plunger is guided by me ns of the finger 18 in a similar hole 181 f rmed between the recess 13 and the front face of the breech piece. The signal arm 16 has pin and slot connection at 20 with the plunger. 18, whereby the position of the plunger will determine the position of the signal. A spring 21 is introduced into the hole 19 vand bears at its forward end against the rear end of the plunger, while the rear end of the spring is secured in place by a block 22 sealing the rear end of the hole 19 by means of a screw or pin 23.

As plainly indicated, the front end of the .finger 18 is adapted to project into the bore of the barrel when there is no cartridge or shell present, its position being determined by the automatic action of the spring 21 tending to force the plunger forwardly. The transparent portion 14 of the cover of.

the recess 13 is soy disposed that when the signal is forced forwardly by the action of the spring, as just described, the signal will not ybe visible and therefore the operator will know that the gun is notl loaded. When, however, the barrel contains a cartridge and the breech is closed, the baseof the cartridge bearing against the finger 18' will force the plunger'l rearwardly against the power of the spring and'at such time the signal disk 15 will be visible and indicate t0 the operator that thereiis acartridge in the barrel and the necessityf-or carein the handling of the weapon. When there is no cartridge bearing. upon Athe finger 18', the

spring 21 holds the plunger in its forward position and thereby the signal -is invisible and the operator knows that the firearm-s,l

not loaded. The plungervnger in any position does not interfere .in any manner withl the opening and closing of the'gun breech.

The lower portion of the breech alwaysswings clear of the end of the finger andl said Alinger is located below the top of the breech. When the cartridge is in place in the barrel, the base thereof will wipe against the -end of the linger without ,obstruction,'

lforcing the same backwardly while theJ breech is going closed. It follows, therefore, that the, use of the signal device disclosed herein entails no care on the part ofv vthe operator, but is always ready for its l. purpose to indicate whether or not a cartridge is in the barrel.

I claim: 1 l

1. In a rearm, the combination of a breech piece having a recess,4 a signal indicator movably mounted within the recess,

the recess having aV cover serving to render the indicator visible in one position and in-v visible 1n another -pos1t10n, and means movable along the breech piece and coperating withthe indicator tol cause the indicator to occupy its visible position when the firearm is loaded. 1

2. In a firearm of the'character set forth,

.the combination of a breech piece having a recess, a cover for the recesslhavmg a transparency, a signal indicator movably mount-l edV within the recess beneath the cover and adapted in one positionto be seen through the transparency, while in another position it is invisible, a plunger movably mounted in the recess land projecting forwardly beyond ,the breech piece, means bearing upon the plunger serving to maintain it moved.

forwardly, connections between the plunger and the signal indicator serving to hold the indicator in its invisible position when the' plunger is forward, and means carried by the plunger serving to cause the same and 

